Saturday, November 8, 2014

Dark days ahead - be prepared to resist!

This blog is a record of all my posts and emails as well as references, in connection with the overall theme "Dark Days Ahead", following the Lok Sabha Elections of 2014. The first post is dated 16 May 2014.

They constitute a journal of my thoughts and feelings, as a part of the public record of this "dark" period in the history of India, akin to the dark days of the Indira Emergency of 1975-77 and other major dark periods like the Partition (of Bengal in 1905 and India in 1947); the Jallianwalla Bagh Massacre of 1919; the anti-Sikh riots of 1984; the demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1992 by the forces of darkness and events following; the LPG of the economy since 1992; and the anti-Muslim riots in Gujarat of 2002.

This is the first post dated 16 May 2014, taken from my blog "Against the Tide":

*****
My dear family, friends, colleagues, students and well-wishers, 


Democrats and freedom-fighters in India are prepared for the dark days, now ahead of us.
Life goes on ... Such dark days have ended; they have prepared us for today:
  • The Emergency of 1975-77, imposed by Indira of the Indian National Congress (INC).
  • The anti-Sikh riots of 1984, following the assassination of Indira, when the INC was in power.
  • The demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1992, led by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) / Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
  • The riots, following the terrorist attack in Mumbai, in 1992.
  • The privatisation, liberalisation and globalisation (LPG) of the Indian economy since 1992, begun by Manmohan Singh of the INC and continued by the BJP/NDA.
  • The anti-Muslim riots of March 2002, when Modi of the RSS/BJP was CM in Gujarat.
The sad fact, which democrats have to understand and accept, is that the forces of darkness can be elected by a majority.
Such forces of darkness have been elected in earlier times:
  • Hitler in Germany and Mussolini in Italy.
  • Reagan in USA and Thatcher in Britain.
So, India in 2014 is not the first time.
How do ordinary people resist the forces of darkness?
From personal experience and lessons learned from resistance movements, I suggest:
  • Listen to your inner voice, ie, conscience. Be sincere & honest. No indoctrination or intimidation can silence the inner voice.
  • Trust working people 100%: work patiently and learn from them.
  • Do not submit to the dictates of authority. Resist the personality cult; do not glorify the rights of the individual, especially the rich.
  • Resist temptation.
  • Question constantly till U are satisfied.
  • Our earth belongs to the citizens of the world. 
  • Democracy and freedom are for ALL: the poor need them the most.

Your support is my strength. 
Peace and love,
- Joe.

Pune, India; Friday, 16 May 2014.